Beyond the Headlines: Bloomberg's Jennifer Zabasajja on Covering Business, Innovation and Africa's Future

Send us Fan MailIf “Africa” still sounds like a single storyline in your news feed, this conversation will challenge that fast. We’re joined by Jennifer Zabasaja, Chief Africa anchor and correspondent for Bloomberg Television, who reports from Cape Town on the people, companies, markets and innovations shaping one of the world’s most dynamic regions. She breaks down what it means to cover business across 54 countries, and why getting the nuance right is not optional if you care about global markets, emerging markets and where growth is heading next. We talk about Jennifer’s path from a love of storytelling to broadcast journalism, then into major newsrooms and finally Bloomberg, where speed and clarity matter. Along the way, she shares how she chooses stories, how travel and local relationships sharpen her reporting, and what surprised her in places many audiences rarely hear about beyond headlines. You’ll also hear how Bloomberg’s Next Africa brand works across a TV show, a weekly podcast and a newsletter to unpack big themes with facts and data, from AI and the future workforce to data centers, power constraints and the way sports, politics and the economy collide. For listeners in public relations and media, Jennifer offers direct guidance on what helps a journalist most: don’t just send a name, send the story and the reason it matters now. We also dig into the bigger forces she’s watching, including private capital flows, growing intra-African trade and finance, the shift from aid to trade and how changing US and global dynamics are pushing more countries toward self-sufficiency and new partnerships. If you value smart international journalism and practical media insight, subscribe, share this conversation with a colleague, and leave a review so more listeners can find the show.Connect with Jennifer:Bloomberg Next AfricaNext Africa PodcastYouTube: Next Africa playlistLinkedInInstagram